January 26, 2006	Thursday	Zilhaj 25, 1426

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KARACHI, Jan 25: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief curator Agha Zahid claimed on Wednesday that National Stadium Karachi (NSK) strip would be equally good for batting, pacemen and spinners. “Sunny Karachi climate is perfect for preparing good sporting track for third and deciding third Test,” he said. “We are trying hard to prepare good pitch,” he said.

“We are making all out efforts to prepare result-oriented pitch. But all depends on players of the two teams how hard they work,” he maintained.

Fifty-three-year-old Agha Zahid, who played one Test for Pakistan against West Indies in 1975 and played first class cricket for over two decades, said moderate to strong wind helped in preparing a good track.

“It will be a good bouncy track and ball will carry. It would be great for stroke makers,” he predicted.

“If bowlers bowled in right areas it will be rewarding for them,” he added.

“However, he said bowlers must get support of the fielders.”

Zahid, who is supervising the preparation of pitch with the assistance of Muhammad Bashir and Ehsan Arain came under heavy criticism for preparing batting tracks both at Qadhafi Stadium, Lahore and Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad with both Tests ending in tame draws to the disappointment of the followers of the game.

During the current first class season NSK strip proved lively for pacemen and except for one match rest of the ties ended in results and a couple of them inside three days.

NSK will be staging the first Test in 15 months as Pakistan played against Sri Lanka in late 2004.

Both India and England refused to play Test matches in 2005 at this premier centre of the country because of security fears.—APP